LINDSAY MENDEZ
Lindsay Mendez, whose previous Broadway credits include Sherie Rene Scott's rapturous Everyday Rapture and the most recent revival of Grease, can now be seen in the acclaimed Broadway revival of Stephen Schwartz's Godspell, the rock musical that relates parables of Jesus, at the Circle in the Square Theatre. The high-energy, often-humorous production, which is directed by Daniel Goldstein with choreography by Tony Award nominee Christopher Gattelli, features a multi-talented company that also includes Hunter Parrish as Jesus, Wallace Smith as Judas, Uzo Aduba, Nick Blaemire, Celisse Henderson, Morgan James, Telly Leung, Anna Maria Perez de Tagle and George Salazar. Mendez gets the chance to belt out Schwartz's "Bless the Lord," and belt she does; in fact, the young singing actress possesses one of the more exciting voices that's on display this season. The artist also gets to explore her jazzier side when she performs in concert with her musical director Marco Paguia (the duo regularly play such Manhattan nightspots as Joe's Pub and the Laurie Beechman Theatre).  Last week, I had the chance to chat with the vivacious performer about her latest Broadway outing; that interview follows:

Question: Since we haven't spoken before, let's start at the beginning. Where were you born and raised?
Lindsay Mendez: I was born in Southern California in a city called Norwalk. I grew up there until I moved up to New York when I was 18.

Question: How old were you when you started performing?
Mendez: I'd say I was about six-years-old. I did The Sound of Music. That was my first musical.

Question: When you were growing up, were there any actors or singers that you particularly admired? Anyone who influenced you?
Mendez: Yeah, I loved Judy Garland growing up, and I also loved Ella Fitzgerald.

	Mendez at a recent Birdland concert
	photo by Monica Simoes

Question: When did performing change from a hobby to when you thought it was going to be your career?
Mendez: I'd say probably when I got around high school age, I decided this is what I wanted to do with my life, and I went to a performing arts high school in Orange County—The Orange County High School of the Arts. That's when I was like, "Okay, I think this is what it's going to be for me," so I studied musical theatre there for four years, and then just kind of thought that moving to New York was the next logical step. So, that was how I moved out here.

Question: Did you come right after high school?
Mendez: I did, yeah. I never went to college.

Question: What was your first professional job?
Mendez: My first professional job was at a company called Reprise in California, which is basically the Encores! of L.A. I did Call Me Madam there, and Stephanie Block was in it with me, and Karen Morrow was the lead, and there were all these New York people in it, but it was an L.A. show. I did that my senior year of high school, and that was my first Equity job.

Question: That must have been fun. How was Karen Morrow in that part?
Mendez: She was amazing. She was unbelievable, and Stephanie Block was her understudy, which was very odd [laughs] because Stephanie was in her 20s. And, that never happened—she never went on. But, yeah, Karen was unbelievable. I was the only person my age in it, and it was a really awesome experience. Hugh Panaro was in it. God, who else? Gerry McIntyre. Just all these people that now I see ten years later, and I'm like, "Wow. That happened." [Laughs.]

Question: And, was Grease your first Broadway show?
Mendez: It was my first Broadway show, yeah.

Question: Do you remember your first preview on Broadway? I'm always curious how that lives up to what your thought of it was going to be.
Mendez: It wasn't as magical as I thought, only because I was so nervous, and you're working so hard, and then it's over and you're like, "Oh. Oh, that was my Broadway debut. Okay. Wow." [Laughs.] Then, as we kept running, I think that's when it really like hit me like, "Wow. I'm going to work every day at this address" and how awesome it is. I think it kind of takes a while because you're so in your head, and you're trying to figure out how the show's going to work and what the audience thinks and the timing and all of those things. But, that first night wasn't quite that magical experience I think I thought it was going to be.